We did something that infuriated Iranians in 1953 by organizing a coup removing their democratically selected Prime Minister. They did something that properly infuriated us in 1979 by taking our embassy staff hostage. George Bush announced that Iran was part of the Axis of Evil. So now is the die cast? Are we doomed to permanent enmity? Trapped in stereotypes and hatred, too many see no way to a better future except by deepening the conflict with every kind of force.

The deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear program reached last week has been both hailed as an historic agreement and decried as a disaster for U.S. foreign policy. With Secretary of State John Kerry due to travel to the Middle East early next month, the U.S. is working hard to convince allies in the region that the accord is the right move. But there’s also a domestic debate, with many members of Congress promising to pore over the deal before rendering judgment. Already busy trying to shape that debate is the liberal advocacy group J-Street, which supports a two-state solution in Israel as a road to peace. Dylan Williams is Vice President of Government Affairs for J-Street and is a former U.S. Senate staffer.

The agreement has been announced, but the many details of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers will be looked over and scrutinized in the coming weeks. Professor James Ketterer, the director of International Academic Initiatives at Bard College, says there are many moving parts to the agreement.

Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei publicly rejected a key component of the nuclear deal when he said: “We don’t accept a 10 year restriction” on the development of nuclear weapons. Moreover, he noted, “all economic, financial, and banking sanctions implemented either by the United Nations Security Council, the United States Congress or the administration, must be lifted immediately when the deal is signed.” Both of these unequivocal statements clearly challenge understandings in the framework.

With the so-called “deadline” approaching, questions regarding the P5+1 framework abound. Perhaps several answers will be available when the details are hammered out at the end of June, but, from all accounts, that is unlikely.

In The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism--From al Qa'ida to ISIS, recently retired Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Morrell uses his talents to offer an unblinking and insightful assessment of CIA's counterterrorism successes and failures of the past twenty years.